Bryansky Les Nature Reserve

Bryansk Oblast

The Bryansky Les Reserve is a protected part of a large ancient forest area, which has the same name in geography – Bryansky Les (Bryansk Forest). These are unique floodplain oak forests where the trees age is more than 300 years old. This is a rare black stork, a brown bear, the population of which has been completely restored, these are ancient bisons, almost despaired desmans and rockets. This is the land where people lived for thousands of years and all this time they used the forests growing here. And where the time has finally come to pay tribute to it - to save the forest. In the reserve Bryansky Les, along with several nature protection programs, a project is being implemented to restore a rare species of an animal included in the Red Book of Russia, a European bison. Today on the territory of the reserve is inhabited by about fifty of these animals. Together with neighboring protected areas, where the population the ancient giant is also being restored, the number of bison reaches 500. The Bryansky Les Reserve is a part of the International System of Biosphere Reserves.

Black Stork in flight. Photo by Nikolay Shpilenok

The symbol of the Bryansky Les reserve is a rare bird, a black stork, a wood hermit, as it is often called for absolute unaccommodating nature with people.

Bison cow Feisha and her calf Methodius. Photo by Igor Shpilenok

Bison cow Feisha came to the Bryansky Les from the Finnish zoo. She became the mother of the first bison calf, who was born in the territory of the reserve itself. The kid was called Methodius.

The Desna River is not far from the reserve, near the ancient city of Trubchevsky. The largest waterway of the Bryansk Forest Reserve - Nerussa flows into this river.

Snags on the Nerussa. Photo by Igor Shpilenok

The Nerussa River is dynamic: it constantly changes its bed, undermining old trees along the banks. And then they turn into picturesque snags.

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The best time for visit is April-November.

What to see: unique floodplain oak forests with age-old trees, which are not so much in the European part of Russia, historical and ecological paths on the territory of the reserve and on the neighboring territories.

How to get to: The reserve is located in the European part of Russia, in the Bryansk region, 7 hours from Moscow by bus or train. You can get here by electric train from Bryansk, traveling time is about 1.5 hours; Distance from Bryansk is 170 km.